"Letter from Birmingham Jail" Response

This letter by Martin Luther King, Jr. only shows his genius with interpreting ideals and principles into a form that the ordinary person could understand. His letter is a response to, not necessarily negotiations breaking down, but negotiations never taking place to start with. He even states “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.” I have to agree with his statement that they were living in a negative peace. It may have been peace, but only in one group of people’s “acceptance of their unjust plight” could it possibly stand. It is a brave stand in trying to convince others to respect everyone. “It is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends.” That is what he states segregation to be, and what the Birmingham police are doing in order to maintain segregation. Ultimately he states that the police, although they might be commended for maintaining peace, it is the nonviolent activists who should be commended. For being unarmed, for persevering despite the hatred towards them, and for not using violence for doing what they consider is the right thing to do.